


Three by three

by Nary



Category: Adventure World (game)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anxiety, Bath Houses, Control Issues, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Foreplay, Group Marriage, Kissing, Making Out, Multi, Naked Cuddling, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Pregnant Sex, Ritual Public Sex, Sharing a Bed, Threesome - F/M/M, Undressing, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:40:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ardith, Vedran, and Aleyn's relationship as it develops and changes over the first three years of their marriage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vedran

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my AW beta readers, as always!

It had been a good day - the children consistently cheerful if not always perfectly well-behaved, the stresses of work kept to a minimum, an excellent dinner, and a few hours to relax with his spouses in the evening. There wouldn't be a more perfect time, Vedran felt. Or at least if his nerves would co-operate that would be true. Even after four months of marriage, it still took considerable courage to say to Ardith and Aleyn, "I think tonight might be a good night to try - if you both feel the same, that is."

Aleyn looked up from his book, and Ardith set down her pen in the middle of the letter she was writing. "Try sleeping together?" he asked with a smile, in an effort to clarify what Vedran meant.

"Like we talked about?" Ardith added. "I'd like that."

Vedran nodded, his throat gone dry. He took a sip of port, which seemed to help him find the necessary words. "To try... being together, at least as much as... as we can, right now."

Aleyn nodded. "I'm game. We don't have to rush anything, though. Are you sure you feel ready?"

"I'm sure," Vedran said more confidently. "At least, I feel ready for some things."

"We can go over what those things are, so we're all clear," Ardith assured him. "Neither of us want to push you, you know."

"I know. But I want to push myself - a bit, anyway," Vedran said, his cheeks reddening. "I love you both, and I want to be with you, and things have been getting better, so..." He trailed off, his gaze darting from his wife to his husband, unsure where to go from there. 

Aleyn came over to him, offering his hand. "We'll give it a try. If we have to stop, nothing will be ruined. We'll go slowly and check in with each other a lot and keep a sense of humour, right?" He glanced over at Ardith, who nodded, rising from her seat. 

"Now?" Vedran asked uncertainly. It was still light out, the sun just dipping behind the mountain, but evidently neither of them wanted to wait until their usual bedtimes.

"Well... like we said, we don't have to rush," Aleyn told him with a slightly abashed look on his face. "I just got overexcited, I guess. We can wait if you want, have another drink, I can finish my chapter, Ardith can finish her letter..."

Vedran shook his head, realizing that waiting would just give him more time to dwell on what might go wrong. "No, it's okay. Let's go." He smiled and squeezed Aleyn's hand as he stood from his chair. Ardith came over to join them, and Vedran offered her his free hand.

There was some discussion about which bedroom they ought to use as they headed upstairs. "Mine's kind of a mess, to tell you the truth," Aleyn said, faintly embarrassed. "I mean, the maids clean it, but I asked them not to move the books or the papers or the flasks and stuff on my desk..."

"You have a lab now for all of that!" Ardith chided gently. "But we can go to my room - it's perfectly presentable for company."

Vedran nodded his agreement, secretly relieved that no one had suggested his room. He barely used his bedroom except as storage for his wardrobe, generally sleeping in one or the other of his spouses' chambers, and it didn't feel like 'his' yet, as they'd only been in the house a month. Besides, maybe it was a foolish worry, but if things did go wrong, he might want it as neutral ground to retreat to and recover his composure.

With all of them being at least six feet tall, ensuring sufficient leg-room in bed was important, and fortunately Ardith's bed would be more than ample. In fact, other than the wedding chamber at the temple of Sehanine, it was the first bed they had shared together, on the night they officially bought their house. Since then, they'd also spent a night together in the master bedroom at Laekseid, but Vedran was painfully aware that on both of those occasions he'd been considerably more drunk than he was now. It had helped him get relaxed enough to get into bed with his spouses, but had also meant that he hadn't felt in control enough for anything more than some light kissing and cuddling, and they'd all fallen asleep fairly quickly. This time, they were all sober and fully aware of what they were doing, and he would have fewer excuses for not following through on his - on their - desires.

Once they were safely ensconced in Ardith's bedroom, she excused herself for a moment in order to go to the bathroom. Vedran took the opportunity to check that Aleyn was all right with this plan. "It's fine," Aleyn smiled, drawing Vedran closer for a reassuring hug. "Ardith and I have talked about it before, and while we're still figuring out how, uh, the physical side of our relationship is going to work, we both agree that we want this to happen, if and when we're all ready for it. We might prefer for you to be in the middle for now, though," he added with a twinkle in his eye. "Do you think you'd like that?"

Vedran knew he would, very much in fact, but that was part of the problem. "Well, it'll keep me from running away," he said lightly, trying to keep his worries from getting too out of control. "Kiss?"

Aleyn acquiesced and pressed his lips to Vedran's, his hands strong and steady against his husband's back. Vedran sighed contentedly, relaxing a little in the security of his embrace.

"That looks like fun," Ardith said as she returned to the bedroom, now wrapped in a soft, silky robe and with her long tendrils hanging loose down her back. "Could I join you?"

"Yes, please," Vedran replied, and Aleyn nodded as well. She crossed the room to wrap her arms around Vedran's waist, her claws catching against Aleyn's shirt in the process. Vedran shivered with pleasure as she bent to nip gently at his neck. This much, at least, he could enjoy. It was good to be nestled between his spouses, feeling both sets of hands on him, their lips against his skin. It was when things started to go further than this that he tended to get anxious, even though rationally he knew that they wouldn't think he was disgusting for desiring them, wouldn't do or say anything to hurt him. Still, he knew his issues wouldn't get any better if he didn't make an effort, and he wanted desperately for their sex life to improve, to be able to feel normal, whatever that meant for the three of them.

He could feel Aleyn's erection starting to press against his hip, and his own cock was certainly making itself known as well. Ardith's arousal wasn't quite as blatant, but her heart was beating rapidly, and her nipples were hard against Vedran's back. "Is it okay, being this close?" Aleyn asked quietly, checking in as he'd promised.

"Maybe just a minute to cool off, talk about things," Vedran said, and both of them stepped back to give him the space he needed. He would have liked to keep going, to tumble into bed in a tangle of bodies, but he knew he'd start to panic if things went too far too fast. They still hadn't discussed what they wanted, where their limits were for tonight, and even though it felt a bit pedantic, he knew from experience that having those boundaries spelled out clearly would help him feel more secure, better able to relax and enjoy himself.

"Of course we can talk," Ardith told him, going to sit on the edge of the bed. "What are you hoping for from us, from yourself, tonight?"

Vedran took a deep breath, composing his thoughts. "I don't think I can handle trying for orgasms tonight." Even just saying that much took a weight off his mind, but he continued, "I want to be close with you both, and be able to touch and kiss you, in ways that aren't too... intense?" He glanced at both of them, trying to gauge whether or not they were disappointed, but they nodded, neither seeming too bothered by his request. 

"So touching and kissing above the waist, then?" Aleyn asked, as he added another stick of wood to the fireplace. "Naked, or in our nightclothes?"

"I think naked will be okay," Vedran replied cautiously. "If it gets to be too much, though..."

"Then we can slow down, or stop altogether," Ardith told him. "I think it sounds very nice, Vedran. I'm glad we can all share this," she added, smiling sweetly.

Aleyn looked a bit more awkward, but smiled as well. "Should we get undressed? Or, um, undress each other?"

"I already have a head start," Ardith chuckled, smoothing her robe over her thighs. "But I'm happy to assist if either of you would like a hand."

"A hand might be good," Vedran said, managing a nervous smile in return. He still felt somewhat tense, but Ardith and Aleyn went slowly as they helped him remove his jacket, unbuttoned his waistcoat, and began to undo his shirt. Aleyn fumbled with his cufflinks, and Vedran gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek as he unclasped them himself and set them aside on Ardith's vanity.

Before long, they had him disrobed down to his underclothes. He shivered a little - despite the warmth from the fire that Aleyn had built up, the winter air had a chill to it, especially on the far side of the room. "Your turn," he told Aleyn, and he and Ardith turned to the sorcerer so that they could work on getting him undressed as well.

Aleyn's clothes were less complicated, quicker to remove, and he didn't care as much as Vedran about making sure they were set aside neatly. By the time he was in his underwear, the floor was littered with his cast-off shirt and trousers and stockings. His erection was more evident than ever, and he blushed as Ardith and Vedran both gazed at him with a mix of affection and desire. "I can't help it, sorry," he mumbled.

"No apology needed," Vedran told him, kissing his shoulder. He remembered back to their wedding night, how much he'd wanted to slide his hand inside Aleyn's drawers along with Ardith, to help release his cock from its confines. He realized he could do that now, as long as he was careful about it. Meeting Ardith's gaze, he gave her an 'after you' nod. She slid her hand to the waist of Aleyn's underwear, letting it rest there for a moment, hesitant to proceed. Vedran moved to assist her then, his fingers lightly grazing against Aleyn's length as he untied the drawstring at the waist. Aleyn moaned, turning his face towards Vedran as his last remaining clothing fell to the floor. They kissed for a moment before Vedran moved his hand away, back up to the relative safety of Aleyn's chest.

"You both look very lovely," Ardith whispered, untying the knot that held her robe closed and letting it slide off her shoulders. Underneath it, they soon learned, she was completely naked. Vedran's gaze was drawn along her generous curves, the rounded swell of her breasts and hips making him want to run his hands over her scales, feeling how they changed texture from the larger smooth plates to the delicate, sensitive, almost skin-like ones... He settled for reaching out to stroke her arms, drawing her closer for a lingering kiss.

Aleyn moved carefully to embrace him from behind, planting a kiss on the back of his neck. Vedran tensed up for a moment, having been absorbed in his attention to Ardith, but forced himself to relax. His husband's erection was pressed up against his ass, which under less complicated and challenging situations would have been great, but right now was more distracting than he was prepared to deal with. Instead of pulling away entirely, though, he leaned back a little, letting his shoulders rest against Aleyn's chest so that he wasn't in direct contact with his cock for the moment. The feel of warm skin and scales against his body made him more aware that he was the only one of the three who still wasn't naked, and that he would have to fix that soon.

Seeming to read his mind, Ardith gave him a flirtatious smile. "Would you like help taking those off?"

"I can do it, I just need a little space," he said, as much to have a moment to breathe and once again get himself under control as because he actually needed the room. They obliged him, though, Aleyn leaning back against the bed's footboard and Ardith taking a step towards the window, where the last rays of the setting sun gave her silvery-blue scales a more violet hue. Feeling like he was on display (which of course he was, since they were watching him attentively), Vedran unfastened his drawers and carefully lowered them, blushing even more than Aleyn had, if such a thing was possible. It wasn't as though it was the first time they'd seen him naked, but it felt more significant this time, and more exciting as well. He straightened up again, resisting the urge to cover himself with his hands like a shy maiden caught bathing. His cock was nothing they hadn't seen before, and judging by the looks on both their faces, they were more than happy with the view, which helped him to muster a nervous smile back. 

"Well, we can stand around admiring each other's nakedness - which is fun, but chilly - or we can get into bed where it's warm," Aleyn suggested after a moment. 

"Agreed," said Ardith, hugging herself with both arms and rubbing them briskly. "If that's all right with you, Vedran?"

Vedran nodded. "If I'm going to be in the middle, I guess I should get in first," he said, mostly managing to match their playful tones. Aleyn moved to the side of the bed and drew back the covers for him, so that he could crawl under them. The sheets were cool against his bare skin, but he knew that they'd warm up soon. Ardith joined him, climbing into bed to his right, and Aleyn slid in last, at his left side. The mattress tended to tilt them all in Ardith's direction, since she was the largest of them, but they managed to get themselves positioned comfortably with a bit of shifting around, arms and legs intertwining and overlapping.

"This is nice," Ardith said once they were settled. They hesitated, as if none of them were quite sure what to do from here. "More kisses?" she suggested, and Vedran nodded.

"I want that... want you both so much," he managed to say, even though he felt like his face might burn up with the effort it took to confess his desire to them.

Aleyn's fingers were cool against his cheek, stroking down further along his chest to toy with the few sparse hairs there. "We want you too," he told Vedran, and kissed him. His erection still nudged up against Vedran's side, but Aleyn didn't try to rub it against him - he wasn't demanding anything from Vedran, it was just there, and they could both accept and enjoy that without needing more. Vedran's own cock had subsided somewhat for now, but he knew better than to expect it to stay calm with his spouses curled up on either side of him, kissing and caressing him, even if they were doing it gently for the moment.

Ardith nuzzled against his shoulder, tracing patterns along his arm with her claws. "You're so beautiful," she murmured, and nipped lightly at his neck, making him gasp and his cock surge back towards hardness. Her breasts rested against his arm, heavy and firm, and it was easy to reach up to caress them, teasing the fine ridges of her scales with his fingertips. She smiled, rolling toward him to encourage more of this kind of attention. "That feels good, Vedran."

He nodded, too tongue-tied for much in the way of conversation. He was still amazed that this was happening - that they had gotten married, that their feelings for one another were so strong already, that they were starting to find ways of expressing them together, all of it. He knew how blessed he was for having found such amazing partners, people who loved him and understood his needs - he only wished he could show them how much he desired them both without his fears and self-doubt getting in the way.

A more vigorous embrace from Aleyn, combined with kisses against the back of his neck, drew Vedran back towards his husband for a moment, distracting him from the worries that were always lurking beneath the surface of every pleasurable moment. Aleyn drew his hips back slightly as Vedran turned towards him, carefully keeping their cocks from touching, but Vedran pulled him closer, his arm wrapping around his waist. When Aleyn looked uncertain at the press of erection against erection, Vedran smiled to reassure him. "It's okay like this," he said.

"Only okay?" Aleyn teased, smiling back. His green eyes remained fixed on Vedran's, though, watching for signs of anxiety. 

"Amazing," Vedran amended, and was gratified to feel Aleyn's cock twitch against his. It was obvious that he wanted more, but he could keep himself under control, and knowing that helped Vedran feel more secure in his own strength of will as well. He wasn't an animal, he could hold himself back, and his partners would help him with mastering his impulses when he needed it, instead of being disappointed with his failures or thinking he was disgusting because of his desires. And hopefully over time he could gradually let that self-control relax with them, as he was learning to do with each of them individually, and they could do the things together that he was only just beginning to let himself imagine.

He lost track of how long the kisses and caresses continued, from one side and then the other, or, dizzyingly, both at once. He couldn't reach out without touching smooth scales or warm skin - it was like being surrounded with pleasure, though not trapped, because he knew that they could stop when they needed to.

At some point in the whirl of the evening, he watched, mesmerized, as Ardith and Aleyn leaned across his chest to kiss one another tenderly. They were still just starting to understand what they wanted from one another, and Vedran wasn't certain how their relationship would develop, but it was comforting to see them expressing their affection for each other. More than comforting, he had to admit to himself as Aleyn's scarred hand moved tentatively over the slope of Ardith's breast - arousing as well. Although their embrace only lasted a short while before they both returned their attentions to him, it seemed like a promising sign for the future, an indication that he hadn't made the wrong choice by bringing them together.

As the night wore on, Vedran became aware that the sounds he was making were as lustful and eager as those of his partners, and (mostly) managed not to bite back his moans out of shame. It was fully dark out now, and they felt each other more than seeing one another except as faint shapes, but feeling was good too, better than good. Eventually, though, he was panting and flushed, and his cock was dripping in such a steady stream that he was sure they both had to have noticed. He felt dizzy, heady with arousal, and knew that he was on the verge of slipping out of control. For a moment he hated himself for that fear, even though he knew it was crazy - _because_ he knew it was crazy. But he could still stop, it wasn't too late, he hadn't hurt them... Vedran put a hand on each of his spouses' chests to signal that he needed a moment. "Please," he gasped, "hold on..."

Aleyn sat up, taking a deep, shuddering breath and pushing his unruly black hair back from his face. "Good idea," he agreed once he was able to speak. "Unless we want to go further than this, I think we could all use a break." He turned to glance at Vedran and Ardith. "It wouldn't be wrong if we did," he added more shyly. "Want to go further, I mean. But we should really talk about it first, to make sure we're all on the same page."

Ardith stretched before sliding back to her side of the bed. "I think this is about the limit of my comfort level too - if we go on, it might be harder to pay close enough attention to what everyone wants. I would rather not get too carried away, and accidentally go further than we intended."

"You're not disappointed?" Vedran asked both of them. He was still breathing hard, trembling a little, and doing his best to keep his voice composed, but it was difficult. "Will it be okay if we do stop now?"

"Of course it'll be okay," Ardith told him, stroking his arm more comfortingly than sensuously. "We won't be upset. This has been really... _really_ fun, and sweet..."

"Don't forget fucking hot," Aleyn added from the other side of the bed.

"And sexy too," said Ardith, so that Vedran could hear the smile in her voice. "But neither of us will be disappointed or upset if we decide to calm things down now."

"Then I think that's a good plan," Vedran said, relieved even though he had been nearly certain that they would feel that way. 

Aleyn swung his long legs over the edge of the bed to sit up. Vedran wondered if he was going to go back to his own room. Maybe he felt uncomfortable or out of place here in Ardith's chamber. He put a hand out to touch his husband's back, the skinny ribs and bumps of his spine familiar and comfortable. "Do you, both of you... want to stay together the rest of the night?"

"You would be welcome, of course," Ardith added. 

"Well, if you both don't mind," Aleyn said slowly, as though sounding them out.

Ardith gave a short huff of laughter. "Of course we don't!" She nudged Vedran, who quickly added his agreement.

"Then I'm just going to go get a nightshirt," said Aleyn, sounding more cheerful. "I'll be right back." He slipped out the door, shutting it behind him.

"We have got to teach him not to wander the corridors naked, even at night," Ardith said with a chuckle, watching him go. "He'll give the servants a conniption fit if they bump into him."

Vedran smiled. "Or a hopeless crush," he suggested, lying back into Ardith's comfortable embrace. "Either way, inconvenient."

"He could have borrowed my robe," Ardith smirked. "Although I suspect purple silk is not his style. It might be prudent for each of us to start leaving a spare nightshirt or a shift in one another's rooms, just in case."

"You're always so practical," Vedran told her, kissing her cheek. His erection was starting to subside, bringing with it the usual ache that came with having resisted his urge to come. He was used to the discomfort, of course, even though he couldn't quite ignore it - but at least he knew it would pass.

"I think Aleyn has the right idea, though," Ardith said. "I'm going to put on a shift so I don't freeze overnight." She rose with a shiver to go to her wardrobe, retrieving a soft long-sleeved shift which she pulled on over her head. "Just going to the bathroom," she told him, "and I'll be back soon."

Vedran lay alone, his thoughts drifting in a haze of drowsiness and happiness that mostly managed to drown out the usual uncertainty and worry. He still felt a guilty shame at not being able to give them both what they wanted, at his own insecurities and failures. But even when he'd been close to slipping, he'd been able to pull himself back, with their help, and he had to trust that they meant it when they said they were all right with what they'd done - and what they hadn't done - that night. 

It was only a short while before Aleyn returned in his nightshirt and a pair of slippers, evidently not having startled any of the household staff on his brief excursion. He climbed back into bed beside Vedran, snuggling close. At least his feet weren't entirely freezing. Vedran noticed he wasn't hard anymore either, but didn't ask whether he'd taken matters into his own hands - he didn't want to feel guilty if that was the case, even though Aleyn would swear it was fine. Instead, he just gave him a quick kiss and said, "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," Aleyn said. "Are you going to be warm enough?" he asked, his hand skimming lightly over Vedran's bare chest.

Before Vedran could answer, Ardith emerged from the bathroom and hurried across the cold floor to rejoin them in bed. She scrambled under the covers, nestling up against Vedran's other side. Vedran made room for her in their embrace, opening his other arm for her to come close. "I think I should be fine just like this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


	2. Aleyn

Aleyn flopped over onto his side of the bed with a frustrated sigh that he couldn't quite hide, loosening his grip on his softening cock. "I'm sorry," he said, even as Ardith began to apologize as well. Any other time, they might have shared a quick smile at their simultaneous sorries, but they were both struggling with their emotions, and couldn't quite appreciate the humour of the situation. 

"If it was something I did, or said..." Ardith tried to continue, but Aleyn shook his head.

"It's not that," he told her. "It's my fault."

It was one thing, he thought, for them to have agreed to have sex - that is, traditional (he couldn't bring himself to consider it 'normal'), man-woman, penis-vagina sex. It was another thing entirely to get it to work the way it was supposed to. Granted, it was their first serious attempt, and maybe they'd both been naïve to expect it would go smoothly. Aleyn had been nervous, and his worries combined with the unfamiliarity of the situation had made him unable to stay hard. He'd gotten there for a little while, but not long enough to actually accomplish the act. Ardith seemed disappointed, even though she said it was okay, and that just made him feel worse, for being unable to do what should have been a simple thing. Even though he knew in his heart that it wasn't truly simple, he still felt responsible, and guilty for having let his partner down.

"We can try another time," Ardith was saying, and Aleyn nodded glumly. "Maybe in a little while, if you want..."

Aleyn didn't think he could face another failure tonight. "Another time," he agreed, trying to force a smile. "I think I'd better go get some rest now - the kids will be up early, after all."

Ardith looked like she wanted to say more, perhaps to go over the issue and talk about what had gone wrong, what they could do differently next time, but she nodded. "All right. I'm pretty tired too, it's been a long day. I love you, Aleyn." She rolled over to give him a kiss, grunting slightly with the effort of moving her swollen belly - she was close to eight months along with the child she and Vedran had conceived. While Aleyn was excited for the new baby to arrive, right now it also served to remind him of the main reason they were doing this - so that someday he and Ardith could have a child together. The thought that he might not be able to give that to her only made him more upset. Even though he knew that there were other options apart from the most obvious biological solution, he felt like sex ought to be possible, if only they could figure out how to overcome these problems. He returned her kiss and told her he loved her too, before retreating to his own bedroom and his own worries.

***

The next day, Saiya was cranky and out of sorts - Aleyn suspected her ill-temper was because she had been up at dawn and hadn't slept well the night before - and she seemed determined to antagonize her brother. Vedran and Ardith were both out for most of the day, tied up with council meetings and then a dinner party with an assortment of Nachtur's nobility, which left Aleyn home with the children. At least Macen was having time with his mother, so there was only two of them to deal with. Normally Aleyn felt a bit guilty about abandoning them to their nursemaids when he wasn't occupied with important work - and besides, he normally loved spending time with them - but by dinner he was ready to tear his hair out. After the meal, and a goodnight hug for Mhireen and Saiya, he retreated to his alchemy lab at the far side of the courtyard for some peace and quiet.

He didn't realize how much time had passed until he looked up from the solution he was experimenting with and noticed that it was dark outside. A light was burning in Ardith's study, which must mean that she, and probably Vedran as well, were home at last. After a cursory tidying of his workbench, making sure no dangerous chemicals were left lying around, Aleyn headed up to see them. 

As he approached Ardith's door, which was shut, he could hear his spouses talking inside. He wouldn't normally have eavesdropped on them, but he caught his own name in the conversation, and hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should interrupt them or head to his own bedchamber instead. 

"...Aleyn wasn't... well, it just didn't work out," Ardith was saying. From his side of the door, Aleyn couldn't be certain, but it sounded as if she was upset. 

"...not your fault," Vedran was telling her, so that Aleyn could almost picture him putting his hand on her arm, comforting her. He felt more guilty than ever. 

"He said that," Ardith replied, "but I can't help feeling like there was something I did that threw him off... Do you think it was because I told him how much I wanted his huge, um, you know what? He had been doing all right before that, I thought - maybe I made him self-conscious?"

"He can be a bit sensitive about the size thing sometimes," Vedran said, "but I don't think that would be enough to put him off having sex if he was ready and eager for it. He loves you, Ardith, but maybe he needs more time..."

Aleyn couldn't listen in silence any longer. He gave a little cough so that they would know he was there, and then knocked at the door. "It's me," he added, in case they weren't sure.

Ardith opened the door and invited him to join them. Vedran had a glass of whiskey in his hand, and gestured to offer one to Aleyn as well, which he accepted. "I, uh, couldn't help hearing the last bit of what you were saying... about me..."

With a pained look, Ardith came over to take his hand. "I'm sorry, I hope we didn't upset you. I just thought maybe Vedran might have some advice that would help make things go smoother."

Aleyn shook his head. "No, I'm not upset, or at least not any more than I was. I know it didn't go like you'd hoped - like we'd both hoped - and I'm sorry too. I want to try again, though, and hopefully do better than last time. It's just... even if I _want_ to do better, maybe that isn't enough on its own."

"I can do things differently next time," Ardith began, her voice a bit unsteady as she tried to compose herself. "I know that I'm not... not exactly what you want, but I can try..."

Aleyn drew her closer for a hug. "Ardith, no, please don't try to be something other than what you are. I love you. I don't want you to pretend for me." He rested his head against her shoulder, trying to think what he could say or do that might help. "I just got nervous, and I worried about whether you would like it, whether I'd be good enough..."

Vedran came over with Aleyn's drink, joining them in their hug as he handed it to him. "We can handle this," he assured them both, and smiled when they both turned in his direction with looks of surprise and hope. "Well, it's not as though we haven't worked through problems before. And I did say that I would be willing to help, if you both wanted that," he added, blushing a little.

Aleyn glanced to Ardith. "Would that be all right with you?"

"Very much so," she said, smiling playfully. "As long as I'm involved too, that is. I don't know if I would be happy if it was Vedran getting you ready in another room and then sending you over to me, you know?"

"Of course," Vedran told them. "I wouldn't enjoy that very much either - I'd much rather be there the whole time and be able to provide, ah, hands-on assistance, so to speak."

Aleyn's heart quickened at that thought, at the mental images it conjured up and the assurance it provided that both of them still wanted him even if he wasn't perfect. "Thank you," he said shyly. "I do want to get better at this, but maybe in order to do that I need to have a few successes under my belt."

Ardith giggled slightly at that, and Aleyn gave her a mock-stern frown. "Sorry," she said, "I'll behave," but her smile didn't completely disappear. "Do you think it would help if we talked about it more?"

"Maybe," Aleyn agreed. "It usually does." Separating somewhat reluctantly, they each took seats, and Aleyn was finally able to have a sip of his drink, hoping it would help him to relax. 

"What are you most nervous about?" Ardith asked him.

Aleyn took a moment to think about that, and another drink as well. "I guess I'm nervous about disappointing you," he said at last. "Which is stupidly circular, because the more I worry about you being disappointed, the more likely I am to disappoint you."

"I'm trying not to be disappointed if we make an effort and it doesn't work out. I know I can't always manage to be cheerful and encouraging, because... well, obviously I want it to work, and if it doesn't, well, that's unfortunate. We've all been through that before," she added with an affectionate smile to Vedran. "But even if I'm disappointed with how things went, I'm not disappointed with _you_ ," she explained, turning back to Aleyn. "I know that this isn't easy for you, and that you're doing your best. I would never blame you... I'm more likely to blame myself for something going wrong."

Vedran listened to them both, and then interjected, "I know this is complicated, and I don't want to oversimplify what you're going through. But things can go wrong without anyone being to blame. You're both who you are, and that won't change, but we can all work towards making our interactions together more open, more honest, more loving... I've been through my own issues too, and we all know that I'm still working on them..." He trailed off a little awkwardly, and took a sip of his whiskey. 

Aleyn nodded, taking a deep breath. "I think the problem last time, other than generally being nervous, was that... when you said you wanted me that way, wanted my cock," he said, blushing, "I couldn't help but think about how things went the only other time I tried to have sex with a woman, and how it h-hurt her... I know you've said it wouldn't be like that for us, but I really don't want it to be painful or uncomfortable for you. It's supposed to feel good, and I want to be able to make you happy that way." He fell silent, feeling foolish and awkward after admitting his concerns out loud.

Ardith frowned, looking concerned. "I'm sorry that I made you think about that, Aleyn. And I know that even though I say it'll be fine, it's difficult to be sure until we've actually tried it."

"It wasn't your fault," Aleyn told her again, looking down into his glass. "It's just... messed up in my mind, I guess. I know it's not rational, but I can't seem to make myself not dwell on it."

"Maybe," Vedran suggested, "it would help if we could make it more intense." As they both looked at him to see what he meant, he continued, "If you were so excited, Aleyn, that you weren't focusing on what could go wrong, but only on how good it felt and how much you wanted this... and Ardith felt the same... do you think that would be better?"

"I'm not sure," Aleyn said, but Ardith nodded. 

"I think, at least for me, that would help," she said. "But if you're not comfortable with it... with being a bit out of control like that... then I don't want to push it on you."

Vedran reached out to put his hand over Aleyn's. "I know how hard it can be to put aside those negative thoughts, but this has helped me before," he said with a tender smile. " _You've_ helped me that way, so much. I'd like to be able to do the same for you."

"How would we do that?" Aleyn asked uncertainly.

"The first thing I'd suggest," said Vedran, considering the matter, "would be for us to build up to it slowly. More foreplay."

"We tried for about an hour," said Ardith. "You think longer than that?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of a week," Vedran said with a grin. 

"A week?" Aleyn blinked, surprised. "Are you trying to get me laid, or kill me?"

Ardith and Vedran both chuckled at that. "I don't mean constantly for a week," Vedran clarified. "More like a little bit every day - whenever we get a few moments to ourselves. And no other, ah, outlets for that energy, for any of us."

"That sounds exciting," Ardith said. "Having to be patient like that does tend to accentuate everything when you finally get to let go."

"Believe me, I know," Vedran said with a slightly wild-eyed look. 

"Okay," Aleyn agreed slowly. "I'm willing to give it a try. And after that, then what?"

"Then," said Vedran, "once you can't take it any more, we'll head to bed together, and I'll help make sure you're both good to go. I can be very ...motivational," he added with a grin.

"Well, you _are_ a bard," Aleyn said, smiling back. "That's at least half your job."

***

The next week was a form of very enjoyable torture for Aleyn. As he was on his way to the lab, Vedran pulled him into his study and pressed him up against the door as soon as it was shut. "Good morning, my handsome husband," he murmured with a sly smile. "Would you like a kiss?"

"Well, maybe just one," Aleyn managed to reply before Vedran's mouth was on his, his hands keeping Aleyn's wrists pinned so the sorcerer couldn't grab him in return. Gradually, Vedran kissed his way down Aleyn's throat, tongue skimming over his skin until Aleyn moaned. 

"But I don't want to keep you from your work," Vedran said playfully then, and let him go. Aleyn swallowed hard and nodded. "I'll see you later," promised his husband, opening the door and giving him a pat on the ass to usher him out.

That afternoon, as Aleyn was getting the kids ready to go out on an excursion with Kier, Ardith returned home a bit early from her meetings. The children swarmed around her for hugs, if two children could constitute a swarm, but Kier managed to get them headed out the door only a little later than planned. "Whew," she said with a seductive smile, turning to Aleyn as she removed her cloak and opened the closet door to put it away. "Good timing. I was hoping to catch you alone."

Before he knew it, they were squished together in the closet, leaning up against some soft winter cloaks. "Cosy," he said, and they both chuckled, wrapping their arms around one another as well as they could, given the confines of the closet and Ardith's increased girth. Aleyn banged one of his elbows against the wall, and brought his hand to rest on the top of her belly instead. "How's the baby been today? Behaving well?"

"Oh, very well-behaved," Ardith said. "Kicking quite a bit, but not trying to turn somersaults anymore, which is a blessing."

Aleyn had been surprised at first how fascinating he found it to hear about the baby, to lay his hands on Ardith's stomach and feel it moving faintly within her - strong enough by now that its kicks and punches could be felt even through the thicker plates of her abdomen. He had the sense, though, that it wasn't the baby Ardith had drawn him in here to talk about. "Were you, uh..."

"Planning to kiss you? Yes." Ardith smiled as she leaned closer and did just that. The tip of her tongue grazed against his, and he could feel both of their heartbeats quickening. He ran his hand up from her rounded belly to cup her breast instead, heavy and soft beneath the robes she was wearing, and she drew in a sharp breath, so that it rose and fell beneath his touch. "That's lovely," she whispered.

Aleyn's face grew warm as he continued to kiss and caress her, listening to the little sounds she made, feeling the soft hiss of her breath against his skin. In the dark like this, the two of them so close together, it was easier for him to ignore his worries and just focus on trying to make her feel good, and on his own feelings as well. When his erection began to prod her in the hip, she gave a breathy little laugh and pressed the heel of her hand against his swelling length, over his trousers but still firmly enough to make him gasp.

"Tell me," she whispered, "tell me something you always wanted to try, or something that you think would be sexy... Please, Aleyn, I want to hear what you want."

"Oh, uh," Aleyn stammered for a moment, distracted by the way she was rubbing against him. "You... you remember that gift, the one from Kallista and Brenn? At our wedding?"

"How could I forget?" Ardith continued stroking him as she spoke. The large dildo and its sturdy leather harness made to fit a dragonborn's hips had occasioned much laughter and lewd speculation, but the three of them hadn't actually made use of it yet. 

"Well, it might be fun to, uh, try that out sometime," he mumbled, glad that she hadn't laughed. "If you wanted, that is..."

"I'd like that," Ardith agreed, nuzzling against his neck. "Then you could tell me how much you want _my_ cock, hmm?"

Aleyn could barely answer, but nodded, trying to show her how much he liked that idea without words. "If we keep on like this," he managed to choke out a few minutes later, "we might not make it until the end of the week."

Then she did laugh. "Aleyn, I love you, but I'm not having sex with you in this closet! For one thing, I'm eight months pregnant, and that would probably require more advanced techniques..."

Just then, the door to the cloakroom swung open and Kirrine, one of the housemaids, was standing there, looking startled and more than a little embarrassed as they jumped apart. "Excuse me, ma'am, sir," she stammered, "I was just going to tidy the children's things, you know how they leave them in a mess sometimes..."

"That's quite all right," Ardith said with a polite smile. "Everything seems to be in order in here, I was just making sure myself. Thank you, though." Turning to Aleyn, she said, "Thank you for your help, too," before she swept out of the small closet, leaving him to shuffle his way out after her, trying not to blush too obviously in front of the maid, who was hiding a smile behind her hand.

***

The next day, Vedran was scheduled to go to Highmark and pick Macen up from his mother. It was a usual part of their routine, making the exchange every two weeks, but this time Vedran asked if Aleyn would like to come with him. "Sure," the alchemist agreed. "Maybe we can stop in and visit Mom while we're there..."

"Actually," said Vedran, "I was thinking of another errand we could take care of instead." Then he smiled enigmatically and left Aleyn to imagine what it might be. 

As they made their way together to the portal in Nachtur, Aleyn also noticed that Vedran was carrying a small bag. Normally he wouldn't have packed anything for such a short trip, unless there were things he needed to drop off at their home in Highmark, or with his father or Brenn, but when Aleyn inquired what it was, Vedran just said, "Macen's boots and cloak, in case he gets chilly on the trip back, and a few other odds and ends."

The change in the weather from Nachtur to Highmark was always striking - Highmark generally being much cooler and wetter than the reclaimed goblinoid city. As they got into the carriage that would take them to Jacinthe's house, Aleyn found himself shivering a little, and guessed that there might be snow instead of the light, misty rain in the air by nightfall. 

Instead of the relatively short ride to Overlook that he had expected, though, the carriage driver took them down the hill, passing from the wealthy neighbourhoods higher up the mountainside to the more crowded and (to Aleyn, at least) the more familiar districts at the bottom, near the river. "Did you need to go to the Union?" Aleyn asked, puzzled, since that was about the only thing he could think of that might require them to come this far downhill. Maybe Vedran's bag contained something he needed to deliver to Monti, or perhaps he wanted to try and recruit more young adventurers to visit Nachtur and help with the demons that still weren't entirely cleared out of certain areas of the city. 

"Just wait and see," Vedran said with a sidelong smile at his husband.

When the carriage pulled up to a stop, Aleyn took a peek out the window and realized where they were. It was a public bathhouse in Undertow - nothing fancy, at least not by uphill standards, but it held special memories for them both. It was where Vedran had taken him when he'd just returned from his unexpected trip to the Elemental Chaos and had desperately needed a wash. He glanced back at Vedran and saw him beaming. "I thought it might be a fun place to revisit," said the bard, gathering up his bag and giving Aleyn's hand a squeeze before they disembarked from the carriage.

The bugbear at the entryway didn't seem to recognize them, or if he did, he was wise enough not to say anything about it, especially after Vedran handed him a generous tip. The room with the large tub that they were assigned to was more or less the same as Aleyn remembered it, although to be honest he wasn't completely sure it was the same room - maybe there were several that looked similar. Just being here brought back a mix of emotions, both fond memories and a hint of the worry and frustration he'd felt back then, that had come from not knowing how to handle his changing relationship with Vedran. It was a relief, though, being able to put those feelings behind him now, knowing that he wasn't going to lose Vedran either to an arranged marriage or to the troubles and fears that he had bottled up inside him. This time he was here as Vedran's husband, rather than as his secret not-quite-boyfriend, and that made a considerable difference. 

Vedran unpacked the supplies he had in the bag as the tub filled with hot water. Aleyn had figured out what they must be by now - his husband was fastidious to the point where the soap available in a public bath (especially one in Undertow) wasn't really up to his standards, so he always preferred to bring his own sandalwood-scented lotions and oils instead. Once he had laid out his assortment of bottles within reach of the tub, he came over to Aleyn and put his hands on his upper arms. "Time to start getting undressed?"

"Yes, please." Unlike the last time they'd been here, he didn't turn away to take off his clothes slowly and nervously, wondering if it would bother Vedran that he had an erection. Instead they worked quickly to strip off one another's clothing, the steps of disrobing familiar but still exciting. This time there was no doubt that Vedran was enjoying the process too, as he punctuated his unfastening of buttons with kisses, and his cock was rock-hard and already starting to drip slightly. When Aleyn pushed Vedran's shirt back off his shoulders, he could see an assortment of small telltale bruises along his clavicle where Ardith must have been nipping at his skin within the last day or two. 

"You've been fooling around," Aleyn teased, running his fingers over the marks.

"Well, we all want to be... mmph... thoroughly prepared," Vedran murmured, his breath catching as Aleyn pressed down on one of the more livid bruises. "We need to make sure Ardith's just as impatient as you obviously are, hmm?" He wrapped his hand around Aleyn's cock, giving it a quick stroke that made them both grin before they kissed again. When he let go after a moment, Aleyn decided that it was time to get into the bath now, or else he wouldn't be able to stop.

"I think I ought to wash your back first," Vedran said, slipping into the water and beckoning for Aleyn to join him, facing away. Aleyn settled into the comfortably hot bath, leaning against Vedran's chest so that he could tilt his head back and look up at him. The tub was more than large enough for them to both fit in it and stretch out their legs. Vedran kissed his forehead, but then nudged him to sit up properly, which he did with only slight reluctance. 

"And are you going to make me try to talk coherently about current events while you do this?" Aleyn asked as Vedran began rubbing his shoulders.

"Would it help?" Vedran dug his fingers in more firmly, massaging any lingering knots away.

"Probably not. As I recall from last time, it mostly made my story increasingly incomprehensible," Aleyn chuckled. 

"Then just relax and enjoy it," said Vedran, working his way gradually down Aleyn's back. 

Since he already felt as though he might melt into a puddle under Vedran's touch, that was easy enough for Aleyn to do. After a while, the massage migrated around to his arms, and then to his chest, as Vedran drew him back closer into his embrace once more. He could feel Vedran's erection pressing against his back, and it was hard to resist the need to see it, to take it in his hand or his mouth and lavish it with attention. But even as he was imagining that, Vedran's own hand was sliding down his stomach, tickling the hair there. 

"Want this?" Vedran breathed against his ear, and Aleyn nodded frantically. Even though he knew that he wasn't going to get to come, he still yearned for Vedran to touch his dick. There had been enough times earlier in their relationship when it had been too difficult for Vedran to come, despite Aleyn's hopeful ministrations, that it mostly just reminded Aleyn of when they'd first started seeing each other. He knew they could both find pleasure with one another without reaching orgasms, even if it meant enduring a bit of frustration along the way. And at least this time, if all went well, the frustration would end in a few days' time...

Vedran's hand was still slick from the massage oil as he began gently fondling Aleyn's cock. As he drew back his foreskin, Aleyn bit back a moan, unsure how thick the walls were or whether there were other patrons trying to bathe in the adjacent rooms. Even though he wasn't jerking Aleyn off with the intention of getting him to come, Vedran still had plenty of ways of making him squirm with excitement. He rubbed his thumb around the ridge of Aleyn's head, bringing it up and across the tip in a way that made Aleyn gasp and rock his hips up until his dick stuck out of the water just a little before he settled back down again.

"Better... calm down," he said with a reluctant sigh, leaning back against Vedran, who bent to kiss him on the forehead once more.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you can take more than this," Vedran teased, but Aleyn knew that if he really did ask to stop, his husband would agree at once. The torment was part of the point of this, though, so he nodded. Vedran smiled at his response. "We could move around, try something different."

Aleyn sat up to allow Vedran the freedom to get out from under him. "Okay. How do you want to be?"

"Your front could still use some washing," suggested Vedran, and moved to settle himself on Aleyn's lap instead. His curly hair was wet at the ends, dripping onto Aleyn's chest, and Vedran's fingers followed the paths of the droplets, seeking out Aleyn's nipples in order to twist them gently. 

Unable to hold back a groan this time, Aleyn wrapped his hands around Vedran's ass to pull him closer for a proper kiss. "You're evil," he said when they separated for breath. "Cruel, malicious, devious..." 

"You love it," Vedran grinned, and slowly thrust his hips forward so that their cocks slid against one another, inflicting a particularly delicious variety of suffering on both of them. 

"I do," Aleyn agreed, panting for air. "And I love you, and Ardith..."

"Mmhmm." Vedran ran his fingers through Aleyn's hair, pushing it back from his face. "And this is for her - and for you. I want to see you fuck her, Aleyn. I want to be there when you're ready to come inside her so hard - and I know she wants that too. I'm going to get both of you so worked up, and then I'll get to see you together, and it'll be beautiful, so sexy..."

"So you have ulterior motives." Aleyn took Vedran's hands and brought them to his mouth to kiss and suck at his fingertips, looking up at him with a sultry gaze as he did so. "It's not just for the two of us."

"I never said I didn't," Vedran smirked, still slowly grinding against Aleyn's cock with his own. When Aleyn released his wrists, he wrapped his hand around both of their cocks, rubbing them together so gently, pulling Aleyn's foreskin back to tease his own seeping slit against his husband's. Aleyn retaliated by lowering his mouth over Vedran's nipple, sucking hard enough to make him moan - turn-about was fair play. "I'll be there through the whole thing," Vedran said when he'd caught his breath again. "I have a vested interest."

The images this conjured up in Aleyn's mind were tantalizing, arousing him still further. "And afterwards, do we get to thank you for your... assistance?"

"I wouldn't say no," said Vedran with a shyer, sweeter smile and a blush spreading across his lightly-freckled cheeks. "If you're not too worn out."

Aleyn brought his hand to Vedran's cheek, feeling its newfound warmth. "I think we'll manage, somehow."

Vedran ducked his head, turning to kiss Aleyn's palm, before sliding back from him to pour a bit more oil into his hand and, after ascertaining with a nod that it was all right, pushing his partner's legs apart. Aleyn knew what was coming, was fairly sure that he could handle it, but it was going to be a close call. "If I say I need to stop..." he began, and Vedran glanced up at him.

"I'll pull out right away."

"Okay," Aleyn said, and opened his legs wider. "Just as long as neither of us touches my cock right now, I should be able to hold back."

"Good," said Vedran, "because Ardith will be annoyed if I have to tell her I accidentally made you come in a public bath in Undertow." Then he was pressing his fingers against the tight rim of Aleyn's ass, his path inside eased a little by the oil, but counteracted by the water. 

"Fuck," Aleyn groaned, leaning his head back as Vedran began spreading him open, the combination of the slickness and the friction driving him wild. "Gods, Vedran, yes, please..."

"How's this?" asked Vedran once he had two fingers as deep as they could go. "More?"

"Uh... just that." Aleyn was aching with need, and wasn't sure how much more he could bear. "Just like that, that's perfect."

Vedran nodded and continued fucking him slowly with both fingers, occasionally pausing to spread them apart for a moment before going back to his leisurely thrusts. Aleyn felt like he might explode, like the pressure that had built up inside him had to be released somehow, but he knew it wouldn't be - not now, anyway. He bit his lip, the hint of pain helping him keep away from the very edge.

"Enough," he managed to gasp after what seemed like ages. "I swear if you do that one more time, I'm going to scream. And then blow my load."

Vedran withdrew hastily at that, moving to sit beside his husband instead, resting his head against his shoulder and stroking his arm while Aleyn struggled to catch his breath and get himself under some degree of control again. "Too much?" he asked, a little concerned.

"No," Aleyn reassured him, even though the ache in his balls was starting to radiate out through his belly now, and it was hard to keep from wincing. It would be all right. It had to be. He shut his eyes. "I want this... want her, want it to work..." The worries were creeping in, though, and clearly Vedran could recognize the signs. 

"Here," he asked quickly, "is this better?" He retrieved the soap and began gently washing Aleyn's chest, his stomach, his legs, slowly helping him to relax.

"Better," Aleyn was able to whisper after a short while. "So good, Ved, you're always so good to me..."

"We're good to each other," Vedran replied. 

Aleyn gathered Vedran into his arms, burying his face in his shoulder so they could sit nestled together until he felt calm again. "We need Ardith here," he said after a while, with a shaky smile. "The tub's big enough to fit all of us, and she could warm up the water."

It was early in the evening by the time they arrived at Jacinthe's house. As he waited in the carriage for Vedran to pick up Macen, Aleyn could see the almost-full moon rising even though it wasn't fully dark yet, and whispered a short prayer to Sehanine for courage and guidance. When the idea for what to do next flashed through his mind, he felt sure she'd answered him. Then Macen was clambering into the carriage and bouncing on the seat, full of chatter and hugs for Aleyn, and all those thoughts were driven away for the moment.

***

The next day, Aleyn managed to pull Ardith into the parlour for a few moments after the children were ushered off for lessons, and before she left for her day's meetings and a council session in the afternoon. "I don't have much time right now, I'm sorry," she was saying regretfully as he took her hands.

"Just a kiss," Aleyn offered, "and an invitation."

"Kiss first?" suggested Ardith with a smile, and they embraced for what was probably a little longer than she intended, but a little less than Aleyn had hoped. He told himself that the feeling of being hungry for more was a good one - that it boded well for the future.

"Now," Ardith said, still holding his hands in hers, "what was the invitation part?"

"Tomorrow's the full moon ceremony at the temple, and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me." The words came out in a rush, partly because he was nervous, partly because he knew she had to leave soon.

"Are you leading the ceremony this month?" she asked, considering the matter. "I'm sorry, I know I should know the answer, but my memory is a bit leaky these days. It's all I can do to keep on top of my own schedule, and even then..."

"It's Rynn's turn," he told her, referring to the young elven cleric who made up one-third of the priests of Sehanine currently in Nachtur. "Her first time doing the whole thing from start to finish. So I'd just be there as backup, and for moral support. I could be with you most of the time... we could, um...have fun..." He trailed off, looking up at her for her reaction. 

To his relief, she nodded, looking pleased. "I think that ought to be fine, as long as Vedran doesn't mind being the sole parent at home with the kids - I might be tired, so I'm not sure if I could stay the entire night, but I'd love to be there with you for as long as I can."

"Okay," Aleyn said, giving her another kiss for good measure before she had to dash. "Tomorrow night, then."

When he darted upstairs to catch Vedran before he left for the day, he found him in the midst of getting dressed, which prompted a few more enjoyable moments of kissing and fondling before Aleyn remembered what he had meant to say. "Would it be all right with you if Ardith came to the ceremony with me tomorrow night?"

"Of course it would," Vedran said with a smile as he straightened his cravat, which had gotten somewhat mussed from its usual neat knot. "I can read the kids their bedtime stories, I should be home in time for that. You two can enjoy yourselves. Just don't get too swept up in the magic of the evening and wind up getting carried away," he teased.

"We'll try," Aleyn said with a smile, before growing more serious for a moment. "You wouldn't really be upset if we did, would you?"

"Not really," said Vedran, giving his hand a quick squeeze. "I want you two to be happy together, however that comes about. If it feels right tomorrow night, I don't want you to stop because you're waiting for me, or because you feel like you're seriously bound by this game we're playing. There'll be other times for the three of us. I might be a tiny bit disappointed, but I'm sure you could make it up to me," he added with a smile.

Aleyn nodded. "I thought so, but I just wanted to be sure. A public ceremony might not feel right for Ardith, even if it does for me, so I guess we'll see. I thought it would be a good chance for us to get out of the house and do something nice together - and she can see how the temple's getting, uh, broken in, since you two helped decorate it."

"Then it sounds like a great idea," Vedran told him as he buttoned his jacket. "Now, I really need to get going for work, but while I'm away, maybe we can both spend some time thinking about how the three of us celebrated the temple's opening with our own private ceremony, hm?" He reached up to stroke Aleyn's cheek, which was reddening at the memories that were being summoned up.

By the time he and Ardith were ready to leave the following evening, Aleyn was a bundle of nerves, although he was trying not to show it. It was almost a relief that Ardith seemed nervous too. "Are you sure this robe is all right?" she asked for what seemed like the tenth time. Most of her usual wardrobe was out of commission by this stage of her pregnancy, and there weren't as many shopping options in Nachtur to help her make do - a half-dozen generously-flowing robes whipped up by her dressmaker back in Highmark were having to serve for most occasions right now. The one she'd chosen for this event was a navy blue velvet number that she'd ornamented with a violet sash shot through with silver threads so that it glittered in the lamplight. 

Aleyn had already told her she looked lovely several times, so this time he instead replied with, "You do know most of the people there will eventually be naked, right?" which at least made her smile. 

After they'd said their farewells to Vedran and given Mhireen, Saiya, and Macen hugs and kisses goodnight, they set off for the temple. It was a short carriage ride to get there - so far most places in Nachtur where people lived or did business or went to be entertained were concentrated in the safest parts of the city, although more was being cleared every day. "What sort of mark should I ask for?" Ardith asked uncertainly as they rode along.

"Well, it's up to you," Aleyn said. "If you want to be with other people, you could ask for a half-moon" - he knew that she, like Vedran, had had previous relationships with both men and women, and could enjoy herself with either sex. "Or if you would prefer to stick with me," he added with a self-deprecating smile, "a new moon might be simplest." The symbol would indicate that she wasn't interested in picking up anyone at the event.

"Definitely with you," she said, clutching his hand tightly. 

"Then I'll get a new moon too - there's a first time for everything."

"That's the idea," Ardith told him, as she leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek.

The temple of Sehanine was already bustling when they arrived there. Aleyn had been a little surprised at how popular the full moon ceremonies had become, although he supposed it made sense - Nachtur was still heavily populated by soldiers, who were always in need of a break from their grueling work, and it didn't have a lot of other venues for entertainment yet. Even in the short while that the temple had been open, he'd found that people attended the festive celebrations as much to listen to the music and have a few drinks as to hook up with other guests.

After making sure that Ardith was comfortably settled, he went to check on how the preparations for the ceremony itself were proceeding. It felt odd not being in his clerical robes, but in an everyday outfit instead Fortunately the two other priests, Rynn and Hilmar, had things well in hand. "I'm here if you do need any help," Aleyn assured them, "but, uh, I'm with a friend, so unless it's really urgent..."

The pair exchanged knowing glances, and Hilmar chuckled. "Unless a demon comes bursting through the roof, we won't bother you," he promised. "You and your 'friend' go ahead and enjoy yourselves."

Rynn looked a little more thoughtful, maybe already getting into the mindset that came with leading a major ceremony for the first time - a nervous sense of responsibility, as Aleyn recalled. "Is everything all right?" she asked him, searching his face for some clue, her eyes passing over the small, empty circle painted on his cheek.

"It's fine," he said, acutely aware that he was blushing. "It's just sort of a special occasion, and I'd like to spend it with her."

The young eladrin woman nodded - presumably the word 'her' had told her everything she needed to know. "May the Lady guide you," she said, echoing words from the rite that would follow, and Aleyn smiled and bowed his head in thanks. He pretended he didn't hear Hilmar's muttered "He's going to need it," as he left.

By the time he'd gotten drinks for himself and Ardith, the band was playing and the crowd was becoming more boisterous. Ardith was still seated on the bench where he'd seen her last, and looked up when he returned, happy to see him. "I hope this is to your liking," he said, raising his voice over the noise as he offered her the cup of wine, watered down and sweetened with a bit of honey. He knew she didn't have a taste for drinks that were too strong right now.

Ardith took a sip and nodded her approval. "It's great, thank you." She patted the seat beside her. "Here, come sit down with me."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Aleyn joined her, grinning at his own foolishness. "Sorry, I'm more used to running around during this stage of the night, trying to make sure everything is ready to go. I'll try to relax."

The drink he'd poured for himself, which was quite a bit stronger than Ardith's, helped with that goal, as did watching Rynn do a fine job as she officially opened the ceremony, invoking the blessings of Sehanine on all those who were present that night. The music was enjoyable as always, if a bit less polished than the band at the temple he attended back in Highmark, and everyone seemed to be having fun. He and Ardith made small talk, leaning against one another, sipping their drinks and holding hands, and gradually their easy-going, companionable conversation started to be punctuated by kisses.

"Would we normally move somewhere else at this point?" Ardith asked after a particularly long and drawn-out embrace.

"It's really up to us," Aleyn said. "I'm comfortable here, but if you'd like to go somewhere more private, we can do that."

"Well, perhaps somewhere where most of the other people are... otherwise occupied?" Ardith suggested. 

Aleyn's heart was in his throat as he escorted her to one of the smaller chambers off the main room. These were where the guests who were interested in more intimate activities than dancing tended to gather, but this early in the night they weren't too busy yet. Aleyn managed to find them a decent seat - a wide, overstuffed sofa strewn with cushions and made for lounging - and they settled in comfortably. There were only a half-dozen other people in this particular room so far, and, as Ardith had suggested, they were all absorbed in their own affairs.

They could speak more quietly here, with the music muted somewhat by distance, and in order to avoid disturbing the others, they kept their voices low. "Would you really have been fine with staying out there?" asked Ardith.

"I want to be with you - it doesn't matter to me where," Aleyn tried to clarify. "Wherever you're best able to relax and enjoy yourself."

"This is still a little more public than I'm normally accustomed to," she murmured, "although I did go to a Sehanine ceremony with friends when I was younger, in order to see what all the fuss was about. My recollection of the night is a little hazy, but we might have gotten somewhat carried away..."

"It happens," Aleyn said, stroking her arm as they lay there together. "Some people like the thrill of knowing they have an audience, some get caught up in the excitement and find it doesn't matter to them anymore..."

"Which type are you?" Ardith whispered, her eyes bright and curious.

"I guess neither, exactly." Aleyn considered his answer for a moment. "I like the feeling of companionship, of being together with all different sorts of people, from different walks of life, and knowing that in some ways, we're all the same. It's been an education, to say the least."

"I can imagine," said Ardith, with a glance at one of the other groups in the room, a foursome who were engaged in some rather enthusiastically acrobatic efforts. "But that's the priest's answer - a sense of togetherness with your fellow worshippers. I experience that at the temple of Erathis too. You must find the semi-public sex appealing, or you'd have joined a different church," she teased, tracing her claws down his chest.

Aleyn smiled, kissing her before answering. "Well, speaking just as myself, not as a priest, I'd say l find it comforting. When there have been things that I've felt uncertain about - whether about my body, or about what I want, sexually - coming to ceremonies has allowed me to see that I'm not alone. Especially when I was younger, they showed me that there are people who feel the same way I do, and people who think I'm desirable even when all I feel is awkward or ugly, and also that there are folks out there who enjoy things that are vastly different than what I want, and that's okay too... Does that make sense?" he asked, his face warm against the soft folds of her velvet robe.

"Very much so," said Ardith. "Although I sincerely hope that these days you don't feel awkward and ugly very often." She traced his cheekbone with the tip of her claw. "I hope you know that I don't think you're ugly at all - very much the opposite."

"Not ugly," Aleyn mumbled shyly. "Still kind of awkward sometimes... especially when I'm nervous." He wrapped his arm around her hip, snuggling close - or as close as they could, given her condition - so that he could whisper to her. "I think you're beautiful too. And I want to be able to... to drag you into bed and fuck you just the way you like it, and then hold each other until we fall asleep afterwards. I'm sorry this is such a hassle."

"There'll be time for that eventually," she said confidently. "We'll get there. Tonight we're just here to relax and enjoy ourselves... and to prepare for later," she added with a sly smile.

Thinking about what was going to happen made Aleyn's heart hammer, and he nodded, swallowing hard. "I'm looking forward to it."

"I gather Vedran's been keeping up his side of the bargain," she said. "He was telling me about it before bed last night. I found myself rather regretting that I hadn't been able to accompany you both on your trip to Highmark - I would have very much enjoyed the sights, by his description of what I missed out on."

"I like it when you watch us," Aleyn told her. "I like knowing that it turns you on. And... I like watching you and Vedran together too. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that I thought you and I would only ever be friends, good friends, not like this..."

"It hasn't turned out exactly as any of us expected when we first made our plans," Ardith agreed, running her claws through his hair.

"No, it's better," said Aleyn hastily, worried that maybe he'd given her the wrong impression. "It's been so much... just so much _more_ than I ever imagined." He caressed her belly, and was delighted to feel the baby shift beneath his hand. "Is this all right?" he asked, continuing to stroke her gently.

Ardith nodded. "It's very nice." She plucked playfully at the neckline of his shirt. "Would it be all right with you if we 'blended in' a little more?"

It didn't take long for Aleyn to shed his own clothes, at least down to his breeches. He could tell Ardith felt a little shy about removing her robe, and he was surprised to see that beneath it she was wearing a rather short, lacy white shift that was fastened with a pale blue ribbon beneath her breasts, accentuating their still-increasing size. "I made it, with some help from the maids," she admitted when he admired it. "Or rather, they helped me adapt it from one I had lying around that was far too small - we shortened it and added some of the surplus fabric to make it fuller at the waist."

"It looks sexy," Aleyn told her, running his hand over the delicate fabric that (barely) covered her breasts. 

"And now we're only slightly overdressed," she said with a smile, as a new couple rushed in hand-in-hand to claim the couch across from them, and immediately started tearing one another's clothes off. The energetic quartet had diminished to a more leisurely threesome for the moment, as one member had gone off to fetch drinks for the rest of them, and the pair of young ladies in the corner seemed to have nodded off, curled up in one another's arms - it was past their usual bedtimes, Aleyn guessed, but they'd probably wake up for a second round sooner or later.

Not wanting to seem like he was staring, he turned his attention back to Ardith, as the two of them got settled back onto the sofa together. His arm was once again wrapped around her waist, as she lay facing away from him, spoon-like. Aleyn reflected wryly that with Ardith, there was no way either he or Vedran could ever be considered the 'big spoon,' but nevertheless it was comfortable, particularly since it allowed her protruding belly more room. Although he started off by stroking her stomach gently, as he had before, he soon began moving his hand downward, caressing her hip, then the curve of her thigh. "Is this all right?" he asked quietly, the delicate fabric of her shift clutched in his grip, being slowly drawn up. She nodded, and shifted her position slightly to let him reach beneath her skirt, between her legs.

She was already soaking wet to his touch, and she moaned softly as he felt around for the spot he knew would give her the most pleasure. Without being able to see what he was doing, he had to navigate by the feel of her folds beneath his fingers, and by the sounds she was making, little gasps and mewls that helped to guide him. When he found that hard-soft, shifting button at last, she stiffened in his embrace and then gave a long sigh, so that he was momentarily worried he'd made her come without even meaning to. "Was that, uh, too much?"

"No," Ardith murmured, "that's just right." 

Aleyn kept his hand there, allowing her to control the intensity of what she must be feeling by the slow, languid rolling of her hips. He trusted that she'd let him know if it got to be more than she wanted, or was comfortable with. Meanwhile, he couldn't see much of what was going on in the rest of the chamber, but the noise levels had picked up again, so either some new revellers had joined them, or the ones who had been there before had caught a second wind. Listening to the sounds of others fucking, celebrating the goddess's gifts with one another, added an extra jolt of excitement, and his cock was pressing hard against her backside before too long. She rocked back against him, letting him know she could feel him there, and it was his turn to gasp for breath.

"Aleyn," she whispered after a short while longer, "could you... there's something you could do for me, something that I'd like very much... you don't have to if you don't want, this is lovely too, but..."

It wasn't like Ardith to fumble over her words, and Aleyn paused, sitting up slightly so that he could see her better. "You can tell me," he said, stroking her arm.

Ardith's face was flushed violet, and she fiddled nervously with the lace trim at her bosom. "Do you think you'd be able to do what they're doing?" she asked, with a nod in the direction of the two women across the room, who had evidently woken up from their cat-nap and were busy again. Aleyn glanced over to see the human girl with her face buried between her dwarven lover's legs. The woman on the receiving end had one hand knotted in her partner's long hair, and was teasing her own thick nipple with the other. It was nothing he hadn't seen before at such celebrations, but imagining himself doing that for Ardith gave him a moment's pause.

He knew that Vedran still had issues around giving Ardith oral sex - his first wife had used it as a tool with which to punish or reward him rather than as a shared pleasure, and it brought back all sorts of traumatic memories for him. But that meant that, as far as he was aware, it had been ages since anyone had done that for Ardith, and that made him feel a bit melancholy on her behalf. Sure, it was only one act out of many, but if it was as enjoyable for women as it was for men, he was pretty certain it must be one she missed. Before he could let himself think too hard about all the ways it could go wrong, he found himself agreeing. It couldn't be that bad, he told himself - and anyway, if he wasn't supposed to be trying to make her come, some of the pressure would be off.

Clambering around to kneel between her legs, he grabbed a cushion to make the new position a bit easier on his knees. Ardith was half-sitting, leaning against another pile of pillows to help prop her up so that she would be able to see him better. She reached down to push his permanently-mussed hair back from his face, looking him carefully in the eye. "You're sure?"

"Very sure," he told her. "Show me how?"

"It's pretty hard to do it wrong," she assured him, smiling broadly. "Just use your tongue, concentrating around here, and it'll be great."

"Should I use my fingers too?" he asked uncertainly, with another glance at the couple on the other side of the room, one of whom was presently doing just that, evidently to great success judging by her partner's cries.

"That's another one of those advanced techniques," Ardith teased. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She giggled at her own inadvertent double entendre.

"Okay," said Aleyn, taking a deep breath. He brought his mouth to her pussy, pushing aside the multitude of thoughts that were racing through his head - like what if it tasted weird, or she didn't like it, and could he still call it a pussy when she was a dragonborn and didn't have hair? - and lapped tentatively in the general vicinity of her clit.

He'd tasted her juices before, on his fingers when he'd licked them experimentally after fingering her, or on Vedran's hands and cock, but this was more intense, more powerful. It wasn't distasteful, but it certainly wasn't a flavour he was accustomed to either. The eagerness with which she responded, though, pushed his initial reservations aside. "Oh, Aleyn, yes!" she cried, loud enough that he was sure it would be bound to turn heads their way. He could feel himself blushing even more fiercely, but he kept on tonguing her as best as he could. Any lack of precision or delicacy in his technique didn't seem to bother Ardith, who was being very vocal in her encouragement.

"That's it, oh gods, that feels amazing, keep going," she pleaded, her claws brushing against his temple. He tried to look up at her but it was too hard to see much besides her pregnant belly, so he tried instead to let her know how he was doing by his grip on her thighs, squeezing tighter when he needed to seize a breath. Soon his face felt wet everywhere from the nose down, and his neck was getting a crick from the odd angle. Even though he was no longer convinced that he was doing it wrong, he still wasn't sure if he was doing it _right_.

But it didn't matter, apparently - just as Aleyn was wondering how long he ought to continue, he felt Ardith's legs tense and start to tremble, her hips beginning to twitch, and he knew he'd gone too far. He had a split second to consider pulling back, but he didn't want to leave her coming unsatisfyingly against nothing. And anyway, wasn't this proof that his worries about not being able to give her pleasure were foolish? He licked her even more eagerly as her orgasm swept in fierce shudders through her body, and would have kept going longer still if she hadn't gently pushed him away. "Enough," she panted, slumping back against the cushions.

"I hope that was okay," Aleyn said, rising to lie beside her again. He kept his tone light, not wanting to spoil the moment they were sharing with thoughts that were too heavy or profound, but inside he was offering every prayer of thanks to the Lady that he could. 

"We weren't supposed to do that." Ardith's contented smile told him that she wasn't too worried about having broken their private rules. "But it was wonderful." She turned to nuzzle against his shoulder, nipping him just hard enough to let him know she loved him. "Thank you, darling."

"Oh, uh, thank _you_ ," he replied modestly. "It won't, you know, ruin things tomorrow, though, will it?"

Ardith's smile turned mischievous. "Ruin things? Not at all. I could do that again right now, let alone by tomorrow. If anything, having an appetizer just makes me look forward to the main course, so to speak. And you," she added, gripping his erection through the thin fabric of his breeches, "you'll still be aching for more, won't you?"

Aleyn nodded. His cock felt heavy and hot, though not quite at the aching stage yet, but he knew what she meant. "Should we tell Vedran about this?"

She loosened her grasp on his cock, but left her fingers draped lightly over him as she considered the question. "I'll let him know that I wasn't able to hold out completely," she said after some thought, "but I think it'll be best if we don't tell him how it happened - at least not yet."

"Yeah... I don't want him to be upset or anything, especially not tomorrow." He wasn't sure how likely the idea of him going down on Ardith would be to trigger Vedran's guilt and residual fear, but that was the last thing he wanted to risk on a night when they were supposed to be enjoying themselves. Another time, they could sit down and talk with him about it, when everyone's emotions weren't running quite so high. He hoped Vedran would eventually be happy that he and Ardith had found a new way to make love, but he had a feeling that there might be some issues to work through before they got to that point. He stifled a sigh - he loved Vedran, and was more than willing to deal with his particular hang-ups and difficulties, but surely sometimes he was allowed to be selfish? It wasn't lying, not exactly, just postponing the truth a little...

Ardith's embrace and her voice drew him back to the moment that he should have been savouring. "It'll be all right," she was saying. "Tomorrow's going to be a beautiful, special night for all three of us, and he'll love hearing about what happened here tonight, even if he doesn't know all the details. He thinks we're sexy together, you know," she added playfully. 

"He's mentioned it once or twice," Aleyn agreed, smiling, and leaned over to kiss his partner again.

Ardith wound up heading home after another hour or so, when she was starting to nod off despite the loud music and crowds. Aleyn held on until the dawn ceremony, more out of stubbornness and a desire to make sure everything finished up smoothly than because he was still especially eager to be there - he would have rather accompanied Ardith home. And then, because he felt responsible, he stayed around a while longer after the ceremony's conclusion to help with the cleaning up, which was always a massive task.

As a result, he stumbled in as the kids were having breakfast, which meant the meal was interrupted for a round of hugs. "Daddy, were you really out _all night long_?" Saiya asked brightly, to which he gave a rather bleary nod that made her laugh. "When do I get to stay out all night?" was her next question.

"When you're grown up," Aleyn said, trying not to think about what sort of mischief Saiya would likely get up to when she was ten or twelve years older.

"All right," Vedran said with a firm tone, leading the shifter girl back to her seat at the table. "Let Daddy Aleyn go to bed now - he's had a busy night, I hear." Aleyn shot him a look, and saw the twinkle in his blue eyes that assured him everything was still all right - and on track for later. 

The servants were by now used to his recovery days after all-night ceremonies. The curtains were still drawn in his bedroom, and there was water and some light food - a bunch of grapes, and some pieces of bread and cheese - waiting for him. He washed his face and hands off at the basin, drank enough water to hopefully offset a headache later, and made himself swallow some of the meal before he fell, exhausted, into bed. When he had been younger, it had been easier to stay up all night and continue about his business the next day like everything was fine, but now that he was in his thirties, he found that sooner or later he needed to make up for the sleep he'd denied himself in exchange for work or child-care or, in this case, celebration. Even the ordinary sounds of the household, which couldn't be totally blocked out, couldn't keep him awake.

***

He wasn't sure how long he slept. He had a vague recollection of waking up sometime in the early afternoon to use the bathroom and devour the rest of the food, but judging by the fading light that angled through his window, it was now getting close to sunset. What had woken him? He had a fading memory of some extremely explicit dreams that had left his sheets tangled and damp with sweat - though thankfully, nothing else, judging by his rigid erection. He blinked, still dazed, looking around, and became aware that Ardith and Vedran had slipped into the room, and Vedran was just shutting the door behind them. Ardith was holding a tray laden with cups from which the aroma of strong tea wafted tantalizingly, and she moved to set it down on Aleyn's bedside table. "Breakfast in bed?" he asked, pushing himself up into a sitting position, and remembering as he did so that he'd gone to bed naked that morning. Any tenting effect to the blankets went unremarked upon, at least for now.

"Something like that," Ardith said. "We thought you might need a little sustenance."

The tea was still hot and just how he liked it, and there were some biscuits as well, which Aleyn gladly munched on. Ardith and Vedran confined themselves to the tea, as they'd just had dinner a short while ago. They were already in their dressing gowns, though, which brought exciting, if somewhat nerve-wracking, visions to Aleyn's mind. "Are the kids already in bed?" he asked, a bit surprised at the early hour.

"They had a busy day with Kier - he took them down to the river to examine the environment and the wildlife there, and Saiya was so tired out that she fell asleep at the dinner table. So we sent her and Macen up to the nursery directly after the meal," Vedran said with a smile. "Mhireen wasn't as exhausted, but he was happy to read quietly without being pestered by his siblings for once." 

Once they'd finished their tea, with Vedran perched on the edge of Aleyn's bed and Ardith in his reading chair, Aleyn cleared his throat, uncertain how best to proceed from here, although he knew that he desperately wanted to. "Well, uh, thank you for coming," he began, feeling faintly ridiculous at welcoming his spouses into his own bedroom.

"Hopefully you'll be the one coming," Vedran said with a flirty smile. "If you're still feeling up for it, that is." His eyes strayed briefly to the still-obvious bulge beneath the blankets.

"I'd like to try," Aleyn agreed, returning the grin. "After all this, I might explode if I don't... or, well, you know what I mean." 

Ardith chuckled. "That's the general idea. If you two would like to start, I'd love to watch for a little while."

"Mm, that's fine with me," Vedran said, turning to Aleyn, who also nodded. "Let's just get rid of these blankets," he continued, standing to shed his own robe before slowly drawing back Aleyn's sheets, so that both of them were exposed to the cooler air - and to Ardith's admiring gaze. Vedran smiled at Aleyn, taking a moment to gaze lovingly at his body before crawling into the large bed to cover it with his own.

Aleyn tried to focus on the heat of the moment, on the sensation of Vedran's skin so warm against his, and Vedran's lips moving against his throat, his chest, and Vedran's cock giving an occasional gentle prod against his own. After a week's build-up it was easy to let himself get lost in the haze of desire and try not to worry about later just yet.

"Do you want me to suck you off?" Vedran asked after a few more minutes, already growing adorably rosy and breathless.

"Yes please," Aleyn said, stroking his husband's cheek, running his scarred fingers over those perfect lips. "Always."

Vedran smiled more shyly at that, and nodded. "Let me know if it's too much, though, okay?" he said as he crept downwards, bending his knees up so that his legs wouldn't hang off the end of the bed. 

"I'll do my best," Aleyn promised. He turned to look at Ardith as Vedran began lightly stroking his dick, and found her leaning forward slightly in the chair, watching avidly. "Does it look good?" he asked her, finding the pleasure she took in the sight to be arousing in and of itself.

"It looks lovely," she said, reaching out to take his outstretched hand and give it a squeeze. "I'm still amazed that you - both of you, that is - want to share something this intimate with me."

Aleyn was going to say something about how lucky he felt too, but then Vedran's lips closed around the tip of his cock and he lost his train of thought. "Oh, yes, more," he managed to gasp, a bit incoherently, in response to Ardith's words or his husband's ministrations or both.

Vedran responded by continuing his slow, languorous sucking, and it wasn't long before he had Aleyn whimpering and squirming, his cock stiff and throbbing for more. "That's good," Vedran mumbled between tongue-strokes, "just like that, that's what we want."

Aleyn was used to people wanting his cock - often enough, in his experience, once they got a look at it, they became far more interested in him than they had been before. But rather than becoming self-conscious, he reminded himself that when Vedran or Ardith said something like that, that they wanted all of him - they wanted his heart and his mind, and even the rest of his body, not just the one particular not-even-that-interesting physical characteristic that made him stand out. 

He was distracted enough that he didn't notice Ardith moving until the bed shifted beneath her weight and he realized she was lying beside him. "I wanted a closer view, I hope that's okay."

"Absolutely," he told her, and leaned over slightly so that he could kiss her. The sunlight was fading, leaving the room in a purplish twilight that darkened her scales and made them gleam. This was about at the limits of how intimate they'd been, the three of them together, and it was both nerve-wracking and thrilling to think about going further, and about the many prospects that still remained unexplored in their marriage.

Aleyn eventually lay back on the pillows, and Ardith settled back to watch, but continued lightly stroking his hair with her claws in a way that added an extra frisson to Vedran's continued teasing and sucking. His husband wasn't intent on making him come, but Aleyn knew from experience that enough of this sort of delectable torment could get him there, with particularly intense results - especially after a week of foreplay. He concentrated on keeping himself relaxed - or at least as relaxed as he could, under the circumstances - and closed his eyes to keep things from getting too overwhelming too fast.

Soon he became aware that Ardith had stopped stroking him and was instead clinging to his arm, close enough that he could feel her warm breath against his skin as she gave little sighs and moans. He turned to look at her, and saw that her robe had fallen open, exposing her breasts and the globe of her belly, and she had shifted her legs to let Vedran stroke the delicate scales of her inner thighs - or maybe, Aleyn realized, to touch her in still more sensitive areas. He couldn't get a good look at what exactly was going on, between Vedran still sucking him and being unable to really see around Ardith's bulk, but judging by her face and the sounds she was making, Vedran was evidently able to handle two tasks at once. The touch of his mouth on Aleyn's cock had become less tantalizing and more firm, now making steady strokes along about half his length. If Aleyn had been less distracted, that would have certainly brought him considerably closer to coming, but Ardith's presence, her touch, her sounds, helped to divide his attention in a very pleasurable way. He leaned over to her, as best as he could without dislodging Vedran too much, and whispered, "Can I kiss your breasts?" 

"Yes!" Her response was immediate and clear, and Aleyn didn't need any further encouragement to bring his lips to one of her large purple nipples, rubbing and twisting the other between his fingers and making her moan.

Vedran raised his head, to Aleyn's slight regret, and pushed himself up to a sitting position, nestling between the legs of his partners. "It looks like you've got this," he said, a little breathlessly. "Should I move out of the way?"

"Stay close for now?" Ardith suggested, and Aleyn nodded his agreement as best as he could. 

"Okay." Vedran stayed put, and did indeed seem happy to watch as Aleyn and Ardith continued kissing and fondling one another. Aleyn could see out of the corner of his eye how hard Vedran was, but of course, it being Vedran, he didn't make a move to touch himself, only bit his lip and watched. When Ardith's hand wrapped around Aleyn's aching cock, Aleyn thought he heard Vedran moan softly.

"Oh, I want you!" Ardith gasped, and Aleyn raised his head from her breasts to look her in the eyes. 

"Now?"

"If you're ready. Because I definitely am."

"After all this, I'm certainly ready to try," Aleyn told her, giving her another kiss on the mouth. "How should we, uh..." He eyed her belly, realizing that if he got on top of her he'd have to somehow hold himself up far enough to keep from resting his weight on it.

Ardith could see what he was thinking, and had already thought of a solution. "Another time I'll get on top, but right now I'm not at my most graceful," she said with a wry smile as she shrugged off her robe. "And besides, I want you to be able to stop if you need to, and that's not as easy if you're underneath. So instead we might have to reconfigure a little bit here."

Under her instruction, they shifted so that she was half-lying, half-sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs hanging over the edge and her back propped up with pillows. "This is how Vedran and I have been doing it lately - I mean other than this past week of course. It's a bit easier on everyone, and since you two are close to the same height it should be fine," she said with an affectionate smile to Vedran, who, like Aleyn, was standing and helping her to get comfortable.

"Like this or with you kneeling on all fours," Vedran agreed, blushing hard as he added another pillow behind her and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "That works well too."

"Yes, but I want to be able to see Aleyn tonight," Ardith said sweetly, so that it was Aleyn's turn to turn beet-red. "Speaking of which, do you mind if we have a lamp on? It's so dark in here when the sun sets, not like in Highmark."

Vedran lit the bedside lamp Aleyn used for reading, which was bright enough so they could see each other, but dim enough that they didn't feel like they were standing there in a spotlight, exposed. "Perfect," Ardith said, settling back on her pile of cushions like a queen. 

Aleyn stepped forward, having a general sense of where he ought to be. His balls were trying to crawl into his body and he felt a slight, traitorous softening of his erection as he moved between her legs - not too bad yet, but enough to make him glance over to Vedran nervously. Vedran caught the look, understood the significance of it, and came quickly to stand beside Aleyn, taking his cock in hand and giving it a firm squeeze, rubbing his thumb across the slick head. "You can do this," Vedran murmured to him. "I'm right here, and I'll help however I can, but I know you can do it - I know you need to come."

Aleyn leaned over to share a long, lingering kiss with him, and was relieved to be able to nod in return. "I want to," he agreed, turning to the patiently waiting woman, his partner, his lover, the mother of his children, lying before him. "I want to fuck you, Ardith - is that okay?"

"So very okay," she said, reaching out to grasp his hand. "I want you inside me, please Aleyn..."

He took a deep breath and tried to give her what she wanted. Resting his hands on her thighs, he pushed slowly forward, and... missed, although by the way she gasped when his cock slid along her wet slit, the sensation wasn't entirely bad. He tried it again, more deliberately this time, amazed at how smooth and slick she felt even on the outside, at how he could make her grin and sigh with a slight thrust of his hips. Both of them wanted more, and he knew he needed to make some adjustment in his angle or position before they could be completely together, but he couldn't quite manage to find it as he fumbled around. Ardith looked up, like she was going to try to help, but couldn't reach to help guide him where he needed to be. "A little lower," she suggested.

Aleyn was startled for a moment when he felt Vedran's hand on his hip, that familiar needy cock pressing against his ass. "Gods, Ved, I want you there so much, but right now if you try to fuck me I think I might just lose it all over the place..."

Vedran gave a breathy little chuckle. "No, no - I just thought maybe I could help, uh, steer a little." He reached around Aleyn's hip to take his cock in hand, tipping it a bit further downwards, and then nudging him gently forward. "That ought to be about right..."

Keeping his eyes on Ardith, and trying to stay at the angle Vedran had suggested, Aleyn tried another thrust. He put more force behind it this time, since he'd expected to meet with some resistance - somehow he imagined that it would be hard to get inside, no matter how much she wanted it - so it was a shock when he found he was suddenly buried all the way inside her. Ardith gave a strangled groan and he froze, afraid for a moment that he'd hurt her by pushing too hard. "Stop?" he asked uncertainly.

"Aleyn, by all the gods, if you stop now I _will_ scream," she panted, pushing herself up on her elbows to look him in the eye as she said it.

Aleyn gave a sidelong glance to Vedran, who'd come around beside them both now. "That's a good thing?"

"Definitely a good thing," Vedran agreed with a smile, clambering onto the edge of the bed to watch. 

His nervousness beginning to fade, Aleyn drew back a little before pushing into Ardith again, drawing another of those cries from her that sounded to him partway between agony and ecstasy. This time he was able to pay more attention to the sensations of her pussy all around him as he slid inside her - how she was close and hot, and so very, very wet. She didn't grip him as tightly as a man would have, but the extra moisture made him slide into her smoothly, like top-quality lube but more convenient, and it didn't seem liable to run out anytime soon... It felt good, he decided, but seeing the look on her face when he pushed into her again felt even better - like she wanted him, needed him. Like he was making her happy.

By the look on Vedran's face as he watched them, he was enjoying it too. He didn't interrupt by talking now, but his gaze kept drifting from Aleyn's face to Ardith's, lingering over their bodies in between. Aleyn could see how turned on he was by the way his cock, pent up for a week, was leaking in a steady stream. He would have gladly lapped that up for Vedran under different circumstances, but at the moment he was more preoccupied with Ardith's satisfaction, trying to pay attention to the sounds she was making, the subtle movements of her body, and adjust his own speed and strength to match. He knew he was clumsy and inexpert at best, but she wasn't complaining - far from it.

The room seemed to have gotten warmer, or at least he wasn't feeling the cold at all. His legs were beginning to tremble slightly from the effort, but he kept going, hoping desperately that he would be able to come inside her, that he'd avoid one final disappointment after all they'd been through to get here... 

"Oh, Aleyn, fuck, that's amazing," Ardith gasped after one particularly forceful thrust, her claws digging into his arm. "Does it feel good for you?"

"Yeah," he said, more complex words not forming easily in his mouth. "Feels good, Ardith... I love you, wanna come for you."

She nodded vigorously. "I want that too, want it so much... Come inside me so hard, fill me up please!"

Aleyn had been building up to this for so long, having his desire stoked for days until he could barely think about anything else. He tried to give in to that need, to let go - he looked over to Vedran, who licked his lower lip and nodded silent encouragement. He felt Ardith trembling all around him, squeezing him more tightly, her thighs twitching, but had no idea if she had come or if she was just shivering with excitement. Imagining them, someday in the future, doing this in order to make a baby together, was almost more arousing, and more mind-boggling, than he could bear, but it was about more than just that - it was about forging a stronger union between them, one built from trust and desire and flexibility. This was something they could do for one another, not just something he would try to do for Ardith. A few last hard, shuddering thrusts and he was there, crying out with the intensity of the pleasure and, yes, relief, as he finally came inside her. 

It felt like it went on for ages, like he was going to keep on coming until every last drop was wrung out of him and then even longer. When he was released at last from the overwhelming force, his legs were shaking so hard he wondered if he might collapse. Sitting on the floor would have been all right, he thought light-headedly - at least there was an expensive rug to cushion his fall. But then Vedran was there, helping him around to the bed so that he could flop onto it instead of the ground, and that was much, much better, he decided in his dazed state.

When he was able to roll over and pay some attention to his surroundings again, he could hear Ardith moaning, and saw that Vedran was standing between her legs now. The thought of Vedran fucking her right after him, of their seed mixing together inside her, made him grin, but then he realized that Vedran was actually using his hands, not his cock, which was pressed, still dripping, against her thigh.. Ardith had her head thrown back and her legs drawn up, and by the sounds of things, she was in the midst of an orgasm of her own, a long, shuddering, drawn-out one. 

"Sorry, I should have helped with that," he mumbled after she finished, before he realized how ridiculous it sounded.

"I'd say you helped plenty," Vedran said with a smile. "You did most of the work, in fact."

"Definitely," Ardith agreed, stretching and turning, shoving pillows out of the way so that she could clamber all the way back into bed. "Gods, I needed that. Thank you both."

Aware that Vedran still hadn't come, Aleyn beckoned him over to join them in the bed, taking his hand as he stretched out alongside them. "Do you want that too, love?" 

"I don't have to," Vedran said, blushing. "I mean, I'd be okay if you were both too worn out for anything else..."

"Never too tired for you," Aleyn told him, drawing him into a kiss. "Remember, I promised we'd thank you properly for your help.

"Aleyn's right," Ardith added slyly, "we really ought to show our gratitude."

"Well, all right," Vedran mused, pretending as if it was a difficult decision. "I don't think it'll take very long, anyway," he admitted.

He was right, as it turned out. Aleyn had only barely started sucking him off, with Ardith kissing him and stroking his hair, when Vedran let go of his hard-fought control, almost arching off the bed with the force of his long-denied orgasm. Aleyn swallowed his thick load, lapping up every last drop, and Ardith held Vedran as he lay there afterwards, trembling and grateful.

Aleyn remembered to extinguish the lamp before snuggling back under the blankets beside his spouses. They nestled together in the dark, whispering drowsy words of love and praise to each other, aware that they'd achieved something very special together, not just this night but in their union as a whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


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